Wasted Time
by AudreyHeller
Summary: Audrey and Jack pairing. After Jack's death, Audrey tries to move on. [after season 4][4 short chapters]
1. Chapter 1: Wasted Time

She dropped her folder realizing the man she loved was…dead…

"How…why…" she said only thinking about the last things she said to him.

She sat on the floor with her hands covering her mouth then her face.

**Well baby, there you stand  
With your little head, down in your hand  
Oh, my god, you can't believe it's happening  
Again  
Your baby's gone, and you're all alone  
And it looks like the end.**

The death of the man she once loved and the man she still loves…both have left her. It was too much for her to take.

"I'm sorry…Jack has passed away…"

'Why,' she thought 'Why did life have to be so cruel?'

She was once torn between her injured husband and the man she really loved. Now, he will never know the truth…the fact that she would've chosen him…

**The autumn leaves have got you thinking  
About the first time that you fell  
You didn't love the boy too much, no, no  
You just loved the boy to well, farewell  
**She only loved him because of their vows. When she met Jack, she couldn't even remember why she fell in love with Paul, her ex-husband.

**And you're back out on the street.  
And you're tryin' to remember.  
How will you start it over?  
You don't know what became.  
**She couldn't go back to CTU. It would just remind her of him. She wanted to leave all of that behind her.

**So you live from day to day, and you dream  
About tomorrow, oh.  
And the hours go by like minutes  
And the shadows come to stay  
**Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Months turned into years. Yet, all she ever thought of was him. All she ever saw was him…memories of him and how much she loved him.

**If I could only stop my mind from wondrin' what  
I left behind and from worrying 'bout this wasted time**

**Ooh, another love has come and gone  
Ooh, and the years keep rushing on**

Then, one day, she was asked to represent President Logan at CTU. She knew she had to face it and move on. So, she returned trying to focus on the more important things in life. As she walked past the desks, she could still she him in his vest prepared to catch a suspect.

**I remember what you told me before you went out on your own:  
'sometimes to keep it together, we got to leave it alone.'  
So you can get on with your search, baby, and I can  
Get on with mine  
**Then, as she was walking back from a meeting, she went through the hall and couldn't believe what she saw. It was…him…

**And maybe someday we will find , that it wasn't really  
Wasted time**

**Song: Wasted Time**

**Sung by: The Eagles**


	2. Chapter 2: Love Will Keep Us Alive

'It can't be…' she thought.

"Hey...Audrey." he said

She turned away in disbelief and tried to walk away but, she felt his hand grab her arm.

**I was standing****  
****All alone against the world outside****  
****You were searching****  
****For a place to hide**

"Tell me what's wrong." He said.

"What's wrong? I thought you were dead, Jack. I cried all the time I thought about what I said to you and how I hurt you. Seeing you here…it's just…" she said, unable to finish her sentence.

He grabbed her and held her wanting her to stop crying for it pained him to see her like this.

"Shh. I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have came back." he said.

**Don't you worry****  
****Sometimes you've just gotta let it ride****  
****The world is changing****  
****Right before your eyes**

"Jack, I don't want you to leave. I never wanted you to leave in the first place." she said.

Hearing those words made him happy. Now, he knew it wasn't a mistake to come back.

"But, how are you alive?" she asked.

"I staged my death. I had to protect everyone I knew or else another person would get hurt…or even die." he said.

She laid her head on him while he ran his fingers through her hair.

**Now I've found you****  
****There's no more emptiness inside****  
****When we're hungry...love will keep us alive**

"Jack, before you died, I said I hated you and I never wanted to see you. I didn't mean that." she said.

"Did it take my death for you to realize that?" he asked without thinking. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"It's ok Jack. You have every right to be mad at me." She said understanding how he felt.

"It didn't take your death for me to realize that. It just took me a while to get over the stress and open my eyes" she said.

"Jack…I love you…" she said softly meaning it with every breath she took.

"I love you too Audrey." he replied, remembering how much he wanted to tell her that.

**I would die for you****  
****Climb the highest mountain****  
****Baby, there's nothing I wouldn't do**

She looked up at him and saw the man she fell in love with. Realizing he had still loved her after a year in which he could've moved on, she fell into his arms.

"Thank you Jack." she said.

"For what?" he asked.

"For everything. I'm just so happy to be here with you." she said. "I don't want this day to end."

She kissed him and he kissed her back. Tears ran down her cheeks but were soon wiped away by Jack. He put each of his hands on each of her cheeks and wiped away the tears.

**Lost and lonely****  
****Now you've given me the will to survive**

**Jack Bauer's alive and that was all that mattered to her.**


	3. Chapter 3: Heart of the Matter

She put her left hand over his right hand showing how much she cared for him. She questioned herself thinking how she could've ever doubted this man.

**And I thought of all the bad luck  
And the struggles we went through  
And how I lost me and you lost you**

"Jack, who else knows you're alive?" she asked.

"Just about everybody at CTU…how have you been?" he said.

"Oh, I guess I was doing okay. I mean finding out the one you loved died right after you said some horrible things wouldn't make me go down." She said sarcastically.

She saw his face and noticed he didn't get it.

"Oh come one Jack. It's a joke." She said "You know I was thinking of you. I tried to move on but, I just couldn't."

When she said this, she remembered how she felt…

**The more I know, the less I understand  
All the things I thought I knew, I'm learning again  
I've been tryin' to get down  
To the heart of the matter  
But my will gets weak  
And my thoughts seem to scatter**

He smiled hearing that.

"Audrey…I'm sorry…I know it's my fault that Paul di-"

She didn't want to hear it. She could tell that his heart beat was becoming faster just from remembering the moment. She knew what his was going to say and she put her finger over his lips.

"Jack, none of that was your fault." She laid her head on his chest. She noticed that his heart calmed down.

**But I think it's about forgiveness  
Forgiveness  
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore  
These times are so uncertain  
There's a yearning undefined**

He smiled realizing she had forgiven him.

"I'm the one who should be sorry. I should've trusted your judgment. I should've known you had a good reason."

She didn't need to say what for. She was afraid that if she dug deeper into the subject, it would cause him to remember his pain.

**We all need a little tenderness  
How can love survive in such a graceless age?  
trust and self-assurance lead to happiness**

"Let's just forget that ever happened. Let's forget that Jack Bauer ever died." She said.

"Okay." He said happily. She said the very thing that he wanted her to say.

**You better put it all behind you baby; life goes on**

"Thank you Audrey. I love you so much." He said. It was all he could say. she smiled and she took his hand and and laid it on her heart.

"I love you too." Audrey said.

He smiled and sat at her side holding her and held her hand.

**I've been trying to get down  
To the heart of the matter**

**But my will gets weak  
And my thought seem to scatter  
But I think it's about forgiveness**  
**Forgiveness**


	4. Chapter 4: No More Cloudy Days

It was late at night. She couldn't sleep so she decided to look into her photo album. Memories of happy years can back to her. Then, she came across a photo of her wedding. They had gotten married the year before but she remembered it as if it was yesterday…

**Now I believe the sun is gonna shine  
Don't you be afraid to love again, put your hand in mine**

Everybody was there. Most of them were their closest friends and family. Waiting for the bride, the groom stood there a bit nervous. Next to him was the best man, Tony. Standing next to Tony was Chase. The maid of honor was Michelle and behind her was Kim. Then, the music played as the flower girls went down the aisle followed by the ring bearer. The last two people to come in were the bride and her father.

"I'm so proud of you Audrey." Her father told her. Then, he faced Jack right before he gave her to him.

"Take care of my daughter." Jack just smiled in reply.

The wedding continued but all she could think of was him. Finally, they both said I do.

"You may kiss the bride."

They faced each other showing how happy they were. He laid his hand on her cheek while she laid her hands in his chest and they kissed. They were now known as Mr. and Mrs. Bauer.

**Baby, I would never make you cry  
I would never make you blue  
I would never let you down  
I would never be untrue**

The flashback ended as she pulled out the photo and turned it over. There was something written that they both wrote. Suddenly, she felt him wrap his arms around her.

"Hey. It's late. Why aren't you in bed?" he asked. He notices the picture and laid his head on her shoulder and smiles.

"Our wedding…I'll never forget it."

She turns to face him and smiles.

"The best day of my life." She replied.

He notices how tired she is and kisses her forehead.

**I believe in second chances  
I believe in angels, too  
I believe in new romances  
Baby, I believe in you  
These cloudy days coming to an end  
And you don't have to be afraid to fall in love again**

"Go to sleep. You're tired. I can tell."

"Only if you'll be there to hold me." She smiled.

"Okay." He takes her hand and leads her to their room. She leaves the photo on top of the album and follows him.

**I know one place we can go where true love always stays  
There's no more stormy nights, no more cloudy days**

On the back of the photo something was written in pen. It said 'a love that will live forever…Jack Bauer and Audrey Heller Bauer…'


	5. Chapter 5: I Miss You

All she heard was a gunshot but, she felt nothing. She opened her eyes to find Jack holding her. They were both sitting on the floor. He was breathing heavily and she cried when she saw blood. It wasn't hers, it was his.

"Audrey…are you…" the pain hurt so much that he was having trouble talking "…ok?"

"Jack…" She couldn't say anything else. She wanted to say why? Why did you do it?

He smiled seeing she wasn't hurt.

"I…I love…" he coughed "…you…" he said softly.

"I love you too." She said trying to hold back from crying anymore.

He smiled once again as he laid his hand on her cheek. She held his hand tightly.

"Don't you dare leave me Jack!" she cried.

"I'm never…going…to leave…you…" he said. "I promise." He smiled one last time and she kissed him.

**Where are you and I'm so sorry  
I cannot sleep I cannot dream tonight  
I need somebody and always**

"Jack…Jack!" she held him bringing his head to her shoulder and she laid her head on his shoulder so that their cheeks were touching. She cried in his shoulder not letting him go. Tony arrived and shot the terrorist but was too late to save him. Chase, Michelle, and Chloe arrived as soon as they heard. They all stood there watching as they thought of Jack. The CTU medical arrived and she had to let him go.

**Will you come home and stop this pain tonight  
stop this pain tonight**

The day of his funeral came. She stayed there even after everyone else left. She remembered the promise he made.

"I promise to love you until the end of time Jack Bauer." She said making a promise of her own.

She returned to their house. She went upstairs passing pictures and remembered the days they spent together. Then, she recalled the day she looked into the photo album and Jack helped her sleep when she couldn't. He held her throughout that night.

**And in the night we'll wish this never ends **

**We'll wish this never end**

All she wanted now was for him to hold her, to kiss her right now. She went into the bedroom taking a picture of Jack with her. She went to the bed and tried to sleep but couldn't. She held his picture tightly and she cried wishing he never left.

**Hello there the angel from my nightmare  
The shadow in background of the morgue  
The unsuspecting victim of darkness in the valley  
We can live like Jack and Sally if we want  
Where you can always find me**

Just as she thought this, she felt his arms wrap around her.

"I promised I wouldn't leave you and I will keep that promise." He said.

She knew it was him and she didn't want to turn to see if it was him because she was afraid that it would all turn out to be a dream. She wanted to hold his hand at that moment but couldn't. Throughout the night she never felt his warm touch leave her.

**I miss you, miss you**

**I miss you, miss you**

**I miss you, miss you**


End file.
